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Guild of Mages and Enchanters
''"The Pursuit of knowledge, in all it's forms, is in itself the most singularly mortal thing we can do. Therefore, it is paramount to our continued existence on this world" ''-On the Founding of the Guild, Page 123 History The Guild of Mages and Enchanters (Also known as the Mage's Guild) is a guild devoted to the study and practice of Magic in all it's forms, as well as the acquisition of knowledge to further the causes of all sentient life. Founded in the Elven Era, the Guild has an illustrious history; Originally created as a military branch of the Augury, dedicated to the control and training of Battlemages, the Guild soon expanded and grew to encompass all aspects of magistry. Nowadays, the Guild seeks to improve the reputation of mages globally, working with governments by imposing sanctions upon Mages who violate the Ethics Code it teaches. As well as Guild Halls in cities, the Guild also has multiple Universities, where student mages learn to harness and control their powers. What is a Mage? A "Mage" is a catch-all term for a guild-registered wielder of magic. Although most commonly Wizards, Sorcerors and more can be found among their ranks, as long as they possess the natural "Spark" of magic. The Royaume, The Draconic Empire and The Commonwealth all demand that magic users in it's governmental services and armed forces are registered with the Guild. Non-Guild magic users are often reffered to as Apostates, (regardless of status or guild-membership history) and while not persecuted or illegal as it has been at times in the past, Apostates are still shunned by the magic-fearing public. What is an Enchanter? An Enchanter is a person that can use magic to create a magical object- a weapon, an item, a pack, or anything else. Unlike Mages, most cities in the world will straight-up arrest non-Guild enchanters attempting to ply their trade, as the Guild applies rules and careful restrictions to what can and can't be done with magic, and the levels of experimentation allowable. This leads to the assumption that a non-Guild enchanter is a practitioner of soul magic. Mark of a Guild Member The "Guild Mark" (Officially, "Mark of Membership of the Guild of Mages and Enchanters"), is a magic symbol that is baptized on the forehead of a guild member, taking the form of an arcane rune of their school or source of magic. Although normally invisible, touching or pressing the mark with fingers will reveal it, causing it to glow with a light. This glow can be used to determine the "purity" of the caster. If the Caster has been adhering to the rules and regulations of the Guild, the light will glow a faint purple-gold and fade back to almost-imperceptible, but if they have been using banned magic or their membership is in question, it will glow with a violent red-black, and remain for some time. The Guild Mark is impervious to disguise magic, and remains even in shapeshifted forms. A guild member who is cast out has their mark broken, leading to a vicious, irremovable scar on the spot- a scar that faintly pulses with a deep red light and serves as a warning of the Apostate having violated taboos and potentially even the law. A Guild Member's mark can be broken without them present for the ceremony, as long as the guild know their location or have their blood. Life in the Guild Novice The lowest guild-rank, novices are taken in for training at a University or College of magic. They can range in age from childhood to adults. Once welcomed, they are given the Guild Mark of the Novice. Novices are given room and board in the College, but during the early phases of training are typically required to remain inside the College boundaries to avoid the potential danger of wayward spellcasting on the general public. Once a Novice has gotten enough of a handle on their powers to choose a School of magic to dedicate themselves to, they become a Magister, or Mage. A Novice will typically have the sigil of their home college inscribed on their Spell Focus. Magister A Magister is a practicing member of the Guild. Upon achieving this rank, a Novice's Guild Mark shifts to the mark of the school that they are registered to. Magisters are assigned as apprentices to Guild Halls, moving from their quarters in their College. As apprentices, they study under assigned magisters until they are given a posting as a Research, Eperimental, Civic, or Court Mage. Research Magisters Mages who research the lost history and lore of the ancient world, exploring ruins and other such places. They are paid a small monthly stipend by the guild for food and supplies, (Often very little, as the guild are notoriously stingy) but must otherwise fund any hirelings or other necessities themselves. Experimental Magisters Mages that experiment with the basic principles of spellwork, creating new spells and guiding the future of magical understanding. Civic Magisters Mages that interface with the public- Enchanters and Alchemists typically, they provide the guild with a steady source of income and are allowed to operate out of either Guildhalls or their own shop. Court Magisters Are politicians. They are assigned to deal with matters of magic on behalf of aristocrats, often given lodging in stately homes or castles. Once a Magister has enough experience, they will be required to lecture for a minimum of one year at a College. This can be extended depending on the willingness and competency of the Mage. Archmagister An Archmagister is a highly-experienced mage that has been put in charge of a Guildhall or a College. Typically having at least a century's experience (species that live less than that length of time would be considered not skilled enough if they hadn't found ''some ''way of expanding that duration), Archmagisters are normally extremely powerful- although there are those who got the position through greasing their way up with smooth talk, bribery and nepotism. Archmagisters command a great deal of respect in the Guild, and all requests must go through the local archmagister of your area. They are frequently in contact with one another, and when matters of the guild's future are at stake, will gather to democratically vote for the outcome they desire. Guild Code of Ethics Experimentation on or requiring the death of the subject of the experiments is against the rules of the Guild. Experimentation on already-deceased bodies is frowned upon. Necromancy is banned, as Necromancy performed by non-clerics is primarily centered around the creation of undead. Soul-Magic (Magic that uses the power of a soul, such as Magitek) is banned (And illegal in most of the world). Mages found performing such experiments will be severely punished. Practicing magic in public spaces is, depending on the circumstance, greatly frowned upon and banned. Use of magic on unwilling participants, with exception due to Self Defense, is banned. Participants of experimentation must be made fully aware of the potential consequences of the experiment and their consent must be recorded by a third party or through untamperable means. Contracts with beings such as Old Ones are considered typically off-limits. Although some mages have argued as to the potential benefits, those who are not expelled for this are placed under heavy scrutiny at all times. Breaking the Code of Ethics will earn you a Hearing with your local Archmagister, who will decide whether to purify your record (And your mark) or strike you from the list of Guild Mages. During this time, they may launch an inquest to discover the facts of the situation, and allow non-guild members entrance to their office to testify for or against you. Uniform As a member of the guild, you are given robes befitting your station. These robes are mildly enchanted to allow for a certain degree of modesty with form-changing and teleportation experimentation. Each robe is colour-coded depending on the type of Magister you are- Apprentices are green, Research Magisters wear blue, Experimental wear purple, Civic wear red, Court wear yellow. Arch-Mages wear white (If they are currently serving as head of a college) or black (If they are on an expedition). Apprentice Mage.png Research Mage.png Experimental Mage.png Civic Magister.png Court Mage.png Category:Factions Category:Guilds